Abstract [en]

In the autumn of 2011 a veteran oak of protective value, ”TV-eken”, located on Oxenstiernsgatan in the city district Östermalm in Stockholm, was felled. The decision to fell the tree – officially a technical decision to fell a high-risk tree, whereas protesting people interpeted the decision completely different – caused a conflict between responsible decision-takers and people fighting to preserve the tree. The aim of this study is to understand what events and processes lead up to the conflict arising from the decision to fell the ”TV-eken” tree. Responsible decision-taking public official at the traffic administration in the city of Stockholm has been interviewed as well as three oak activists. The interviews have been complemented by reviews of some relevant documents. Due to the background of the conflicting parties and the parties' preconceived view of the opposite party, the conflict developed to be all about more questions than the factual question (i.e. the felling of the oak). New studies that were performed in order to examine the state of the oak exacerbated the conflict as none of the studies were considered legitimate by both parties. Both parties have expressed substantial suspiciousness towards the other party and many actings have been interpreted as strategical. Inadequate communication between the parties is the general explanation to the origin and increase of the conflict.